Automatic gas vaporizer



Aug. 14, 1956 J. c. CAMPANlZZl 2,759,067

AUTOMATIC GAS VAPORIZER Filed June 12, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J0$Pll 65 CA/IPA/WZ z/ ZMQM Arramwsf Aug. 14, 1956 J. c. CAMPANIZZI 2,759,067

AUTOMATIG GAS VAPORIZER Filed June 12, 1953 5 Shets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent @fiice Patented Aug. 14, 1956 AUTOMATIC GAS VAPORIZER Joseph C. Campanizzi, Flushing, ()hio Application June 12, 1953, Serial No. 361,137

2 Claims. (Cl. 200138) The present invention relates to an automatic gas vaporizer and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a device which may be installed in any conventional modern automobile motor without altering the latter in any manner whatsoever and which installation requires the drilling of no holes or the like. Essentially the invention comprises a heating unit which is adapted to be mounted in the throat of the intake manifold of the automobile engine and immediately below the carburetor. In addition, there is provided a thermostatically operated switch in a housing which is adapted to be clamped upon the exhaust manifold of the engine. The device insures the immediate provision of an explosive mixture to the cylinders of an engine with which it may be associated thus preventing the flooding of the engine with raw gasoline, with a consequent wasting of fuel and dilution of lubricant, the latter causing undue wear of the cylinder walls. The device contains many novel features which will be brought out in the specification.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth having novel means for preheating a fuel mixture prior to its delivery to the cylinders of an automobile engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel thermostatically operated switch forming a part of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel heating unit forming a part of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which may be quickly and easily installed in an automobile engine without altering the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and efficient m use.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention shown in installed position upon an automobile engine,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a strap forming a part of the invention,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the device illustrated in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 7,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 10-10 of Figure 7,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a porcelain body member and allied parts forming a part of the invention,

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken along line 1212 of Figure 6,

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 1313 of Figure 9,

Figure 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 14-14 of Figure 1, and

Figure 15 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the device illustrated in Figure 14 illustrating certain details of construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein an automobile engine generally designated at 10 and provided with a conventional intake manifold 11, a conventional exhaust manifold 12, the intake manifold being provided with an intake manifold throat 13, a carburetor 14, mounted atop the throat 13 and an air cleaner 15 mouned over the carburetor 14.

A heater unit is generally designated at 16 and comprises a hollow cylindrical casing 17 having a closed bottom 18 and provided with a cap 19 at its upper end. The casing 17 is provided with a hollow cylindrical liner 20 formed of mica or other suitable insulating material. The upper end of the throat 13 is provided with a flange 21 and the lower end of the carburetor 14 is provided with a like flange 22, the flanges being adapted to be interconnected by means of bolts 23. interposed between the flanges 21 and 22 is a pair of gaskets 24 and 25 between Which is clamped through the medium of the bolts 23 a diametrically extending strap 25a of rectangular cross sectional area having a block 26 integrally formed at one end thereof. A bolt 2'7 is formed integrally with and extends outwardly from the block 26 and is provided with a nut 28 whereby a wire 29 may be connected thereto.

The wire 29 leads to the ignition switch (not shown) of the engine 10. Mounted within the casing 17 with its ends in spaced relation to the bottom 18 and cap 19 is a substantially cylindrical body 30 preferably formed of porcelain and provided in its peripheral portion with three circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending grooves 31. The body 30 is held in position within the casing 17 by an elongated lower screw 32 which extends centrally through the bottom 18 into the central lower portion of the block 36 and with a like upper screw 33 which extends through the cap 19 and into the upper portion of the body 30. The screw 33 likewise extends through an opening 34 provided in the strap 25a.

The bolt 33 extends through an opening 35 centrally provided in the cap 19 and has threaded thereon a nut 36 upon the underside of the cap 19 and a nut 37 upon the upper side of the cap 19. A nut 33 is likewise threaded upon the bolt 33 above the strap 23a. An in sulating ring 39 is interposed between the nut 36 and the cap 19 while an insulating ring 40 is interposed between the upper side of the cap 19 and the lower side of the nut 37.

A heating element 41 is positioned in each of the grooves 31 and each of the elements 41 is connected at its upper end to the screws 33 by means of the nut 36, as clearly shown in Figure 9 while each of the elements 41 is connected at its lower end to the screw 32 by means of a nut 42 upon the inner side of the casing 17. A washer 43 may be interposed between the lower end of the elements 41 and the bottom 18, if desired. A nut 44 is threaded upon the screw 32 upon the lower side of 3 he. bottom 18 and a washer 45 may be interposed between the bottom 18 and the nut 44, likewise if desired.

A wire 46 is fastened to the outer side of the casing 17, as shown in Figure 3 and extends between the gaskets 21 and 22 to connect with a switch which is generally designated at 47. The switch 47 comprises a body 48 having an open lower end from which extends dependently a pair of clamp arms 49 adapted to encompass the exhaust manifold 12. The arms 49 are interconnected at their lower ends by means of a bolt 50 and nut 51.

The body 48 is provided with a closed upper end 52 provided with an aperture 53 extending therethrough. An arm 54 is aflixed to one side of the body 48 and, in turn, has afiixed thereto a heat responsive bimetallic coil spring 55 whose free end extends through the opening 53 and carries, by means of nuts 56 and 57 a movable contact member 58.

A cover 59 is mounted upon the body 48 by means of screws 60 or the like and the wire 46 extends through an insulating ring 61. A U-shaped fixed contact member presents its bight portion 62 in a vertical direction within the cover 59 and has its lower legs 63 afiixed by means of a bolt 64- to the top 52 which latter is provided with an opening 65 through which the bolt 64 extends. The bolt 64 is insulated from the member 52 by insulating rings 66 and 67 which surround the bolt 64 above and below the member 52, the legs 63 being mounted atop the ring 66. The inner end of the wire 46 is connected to the bolt 64 by a pair of nuts 68 and 69 which lie above and below the wire 46 upon the bolt 64. The fixed contact is provided with an upper leg 70 having an opening 71- therethrough through which extends a bolt 72 having its head 73 at its lower end. Insulating rings 74 and 75 placed below and above the legs 70 assist in maintaining the bolt 72 out of electrical contact with the leg 70.

A horizontally extending spring arm 76 is affixed at one end to the bolt 72 by means of a nut 77 and is provided upon its underside adjacent the free end thereof with a pair of notches 78 and 79, the notch 78 being located inwardly of the notch 79. The notches 78 and 79 are adapted to selectively receive the free end of the spring 55.

In operation, it will be apparent that when it is desired to start the engine 10, it is only necessary to switch on the ignition in conventional manner. The wire 29 will thereupon supply electrical current through the strap- 25a thence downwardly through the screw 33 to the upper ends of the heating elements 41. The current will then be grounded through the screw 32 to the casing- 17 whence it will be led by the wire 46 to the bolt 64 and thence to the bight portion 62 of the fixed contact, member. At this time, since the motor is cold, the spring 55 will have contracted thus moving the free end thereof from the notch 79 to the notch 78 and bringing the movable contact member 58.- into contact with the bight portion- 62 thus allowing the electrical current to continue on its way through the movable contact member 58 through the spring 55 and thence to ground upon the exhaust manifold 12 through the clamp arms 59.

Since electrical current is now being supplied to the heating elements 41, it will be apparent that a fuel and air mixture passing downwardly from the carburetor 14 will be heated by the element 17 as it passes through the throat 13 into the engine 10. It will thus be seen that the engine 10 will be immediately supplied with a heated fuel mixture. When, however, the engine 10 has become sufficiently warmed so that the intake manifold itself will take care of the heating of the mixture from the carburetor 14, the heat emanating from the exhaust manifold 12 at such times will cause an expansion of the coil spring thus forcing the free end thereof away from the bight portion 62 of the fixed contact member and thus severing contact between the movable contact member 58 and the bight portion 62. In order that such action will not be a fluttering one, the outer end of the spring 55 must first overcome the friction entailed due to the free end thereof being positioned in the notch 78. When sufficient tension has been given the spring 55 due to the action of heat, it will then forcibly move itself to engage with the notch 79, the reverse also being true, of course.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch including a housing, a heat expandible and contractible coil spring aflixed at one end in said housing, a movable contact member aflixed to the free end of said spring, a fixed contact member mounted in said housing and adapted to be contacted by said movable contact, and a spring arm affixed at one of its ends inv said housing and having a. pair of spaced transversely extending grooves formed in the freeend portion thereof, said free end of said spring being frictionally engageable in each of said grooves.

2. A switch including a housing, a heat expandible and contractible coil spring afiixed at one end in said housing, a movable contact member aifixed to the free end of said spring, a fixed contact member mounted in said housing and adapted to be contacted by said movable contact, a spring arm afiixed at one of its ends in said housing and having a pair of spaced transversely extending grooves formed in the free end portion thereof, said free end of said spring being frictionally engageable' in each of said grooves, and means for locking said movable contact member in adjusted position relative to said spring.

References Cited in the file of. this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,143,092 Unckles June 15, 1915 1,233,744 Batchelor July 17, 1917 1,320,787 McElrath Nov. 4, 1919 1,371,730 Bowles Mar. 15, 1921 1,612,114 Hall Dec. 28, 1926 2,019,050 Hoyt Oct. 29, 1935 2,602,129 Valverde July I, 1952 

1. A SWITCH INCLUDING A HOUSING, A HEAT EXPANDIBLE AND CONTRACTIBLE COIL SPRING AFFIXED AT ONE END IN SAID HOUSING, A MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER AFFIXED TO THE FREE END OF SAID SPRING, A FIXED CONTACT MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE CONTACTED BY SAID MOVABLE CONTACT, AND A SPRING ARM AFFIXED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING GROOVES FORMED IN THE FREE END PORTION THEREOF, SAID FREE END OF SAID SPRING BEING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE IN EACH OF SAID GROOVES. 